The MicroFabrication Laboratory
supports both undergraduate and graduate education. Our undergraduates learn
basic processing techniques and apply those in the fabrication of PMOS devices
and circuits. Our graduate students participate in funded research programs
that are conducted in our facilities. Our capabilities include all the processing
tools necessary to fabricate CMOS circuits and additional tools used to create
MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS).

Plasma
Science and Engineering Laboratories

Facilities exist for fundamental plasma studies as well as research
in novel plasma processing applications. Experiments in plasma waves and
radiation use plasma chambers with wave detection systems. Microwave experiments
include linear and reentrant cross field amplifiers designed for probe
measurements. Other capabilities of the Plasma Science Laboratory are electron
beam lithography, plasma ion implantation, and vacuum arc deposition.
The Plasma Engineering Laboratory focuses on
high-density
inductively coupled plasmas (ICPs), plasma etching, and ionized physical vapor
deposition. To aid in the investigation of plasma processes, the lab offers
many diagnostic and measurement capabilities including rf-compensated Langmuir
probes, quadrapole mass spectroscopy, optical emission spectroscopy, and
microwave interferometry, as well as surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy.
Our goals are to study the fundamental aspects of dc,
rf, and microwave plasmas, and to understand the interaction of these plasmas
with the processing and production of novel electronic materials.

Microwave Materials Laboratory

Complete facilities are available for producing and characterizing microwave
materials and devices. Fabrication facilities include an ultra-high vacuum
ion beam sputter deposition system and a thermal evaporation system. These
facilities are designed for both oxide (e.g. high Tc superconductors) and
metal thin films. Also available is a UHV magnetron sputtering system for
triode-magnetron sputtering of elemental or YBaCuO targets. Characterization
facilities include DC magnetization (VSM) and conductivity measurements,
swept frequency ferromagnetic resonance, and millimeter-wave equipment.

Microwave Device and Circuits Laboratory

An HP 8510B Automatic Network Analyzer is available for microwave measurements
at frequencies up to 40 GHz using coaxial cables. Time domain and power
spectrum measurements can be made with the microwave instrumentation available
in the laboratory.

VLSI Design Laboratory

The VLSI Laboratory supports graduate research and undergraduate education
in all areas of VLSI design and computer engineering. The facility houses
over 25 networked workstations. (DEC station 3100+s and 5000+s) Viewlogic
digital system CAD tools, XLynx field programmable gate arrays, and Berkley
Magic/Oct VLSI CAD tool sets are available along with Kix, CalTech, WorkView
and Cadence tools and several general event simulators. SUPREM III, SUPREM
IV, and PISCES are used for process modeling and device simulation. A Tektronix
ASIC tester is available. Fabrication is supported by MOSIS.